Looking after your health and wellbeing may not feel like much of a priority after you’ve lost someone important. Your loss may have left you with little appetite or, alternatively, a need to comfort eat. Sometimes, in the initial stages of grief, all we can really do is to eat whatever we can manage and not worry too much about whether it’s healthy or not.

If you’re lucky, some kind friends or neighbours may bring you meals in the first few days or weeks. Some may even offer to shop for you. These can be the best ways people can practically support you if you don’t yet feel up to making meals or shopping.

Sooner or later though, you will need to feed yourself, and others too if you have a family, but again, when your world has been turned upside down, it’s fine to eat whatever you feel like and whatever is easiest. Let yourself off the hook. If, for a while, you end up having more takeaways, cake or chocolate than usual, don’t worry about it. In fact, take any small enjoyment where you can get it.

However, in time, you will find it helpful, both physically and mentally, to get into a healthy, balanced eating routine because you will honestly feel better for doing so. We can’t do anything to change what’s happened to us, but we can take measures to try to minimise some of the physical damage that grief can do.

Unfortunately, grief can increase inflammation, affect your immune system, compromise your digestion, cause brain fog and deplete your energy levels. The better your diet is, the stronger you will be physically. That, in turn, will then have an effect on your emotional wellbeing too.

As grief sometimes comes in waves, when you’re having a better day, you could batch cook so that you then have a few healthy meals in the freezer to use when the grief hits again and you feel less up to cooking.

Other considerations

Limit coffee as your adrenal glands and nervous system will probably already be
over- stimulated and working overtime due to the stress of grief.

Alcohol is generally best avoided as it can disrupt sleep which you will need more
than ever. Sleep is when the body does its repair work and also when you start to
process what has happened to you emotionally.

Getting out in nature for a walk has been shown in numerous studies to help our
wellbeing.

Exercise is useful for expending the body’s stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol,
which, if excessive, can become problematic after a traumatic event. Exercise also
increases the levels of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers and mood boosters.

Weight Loss or Weight Gain

Weight loss is common when you’re in shock and unable to eat very much. Weight gain may
come about if you begin to use food as a way to comfort yourself. You may even find you
experience both at different stages of the grieving process.

Be gentle on yourself. All being well, you will, given time, come back to a natural balance. If not, and either become problematic, please seek support from an appropriate professional.

Supplements

In view of the effects the stress of grief can have on our immune, nervous and digestive
systems, a good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement can be viewed as valuable, if
not essential back-up. This is especially true if you’re either not eating very well or not eating
enough.

As stress affects the health of the gut microbiome, which is important for all aspects of
health, it can be helpful to take a probiotic at this time too.

If you experience physical symptoms you’re very concerned about, then you should contact
your GP. However, booking a consultation with a BANT-registered nutritional therapist for
personalised advice on diet and supplements can be a really good way to support yourself
during the grieving process, particularly if you’re struggling with anxiety, low mood, sleep,
fatigue, digestive symptoms, brain fog and so on.

Feed your soul

Proactively looking after yourself during grief can give you back some control at a time when
you may feel like you have none. Getting the nutrients necessary for health and wellbeing is
extra important when we’re grieving and it can be a crucial form of self-care that helps to
nurture mind, body and soul, supporting us as we move through challenging times.